Thoughts
by Dakota Kid
Summary: Everyones thoughts of Festus as his life hangs in the balance after being shot. Bad summary good story I thinkplease let me know! Thanks!
1. A Shooting

**Thoughts**

**A little story written in the POV's of all the Gunsmoke characters and their thoughts on our favorite Hill Man, Festus Haggen after he is injured. I have been thinking about this for some time and usually write L&O: SVU stories but I am a huge Gunsmoke fan as well. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Gunsmoke characters someone else does and this was not written for monetary gain.**

**Prelude**

"Stop right thar!" Deputy US Marshal Festus Haggen yelled at the fleeing bandit.

The young man stopped for sure but instead of surrendering he raised his pistol and fired once and then twice at Festus. The first shot missed him but the second hit its mark, striking Festus just above the heart. He fell to the ground, feeling his life blood pouring out of him.

US Marshal Matt Dillon came running up then to find his deputy and friend lying on the ground in a pool of blood. "Festus!" he yelled rushing to the lying man's side completely forgetting that a man who had just taken three hundred dollars from the bank was escaping. His friend was more important at the moment.

"It's ok Matthew." the hill man said softly. "Go get em before he gets away." His voice was weak and Matt was torn between staying with his friend and helping him and perusing the robbers. In the end, Matt's sense of duty won out and he left Festus as soon as he saw Nathan Burke coming up the street. He hollered at Burke to take care of Festus so that he could peruse the outlaw.

"What happened Festus?" Burke asked kneeling down beside the other man.

Festus rolled his eyes before squeezing them shut against the pain again, "What da ya think happened Burke, ya knuckle head?" Festus managed to get out before passing out completely.

Nathan caught the next available man and had him help him carry the now unconscious Festus up to Doc's office. "Doc! Doc!" he called as they approached the office.

Doctor Galen Adams stepped out on to the steps that led to his office. He had been preparing his medical bag as soon as he had heard the shots; sure that he would be taking care of Matt Dillon, not Festus. "My goodness, Burke. Get him up here." Doc said, stepping back into his office. He prepared a table and motioned for the men to lie Festus down on it. "What happened here Burke?" the older man asked as he pulled Festus's shirt open.

"I don't know Doc. I just came up on it after I heard the shots, then Marshal Dillon told me to get him up to you and he took off after the guy that robbed the store." Burke told Doc.

"Well Burke I want you to do me a favor. I want you to go to the Longbranch and get Kitty, tell her that I need her assistance up here in surgery." Doc said, examining the wound for the first time.

It was a bad wound but it looked to Doc like Festus had been lucky and it had missed his heart.

Burke went out the door and ran to the Longbranch. When he came in Miss Kitty looked up and he saw her face go pale. She had heard the gun shots but hadn't had the heart to go out and see who it had been. "Burke?" she asked when he came through the door.

"Miss Kitty, its Festus. He's up at the Doc's and he says he needs your help." Burke said quickly.

Kitty felt herself let out a sigh of relief at the knowledge that it was Festus and not Matt lying up in Doc's office. Not that she would ever wish harm on her friend but too many times had she been summoned to Doc's office to help patch up her man, so she couldn't help but feel relief.

She went to Doc's office and knocked on the door. "Doc?" she said softly.

"Come in here Kitty." Doc said gruffly. "I need your help. I don't know how close this bullet is to Festus's heart. I'd-I'd hate for anything to go wrong." He said, his voice faltering.

Kitty moved to the older man's side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be ok Doc. Festus is made of tougher stuff than that."

For four hours Kitty and Doc worked on Festus, extracting the bullet, stopping the bleeding and getting him patched up. Then they waited and waited. Finally Matt returned along with Thad Greenwood.

As soon as Matt stepped in the door, Kitty stood and went to him, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. Matt ran a hand down her back, not caring that Doc was setting right there in front of them and said softly. "I'm ok Kitty. How's Festus?"

"He's still unconscious and he's lost a lot of blood. Doc isn't sure what will happen, all we can do is wait and pray." Kitty said, not moving from where she was latched on to Matt.

"Doc?" Matt said, almost pleading with the older man to tell him that Festus would be ok. That the wound wasn't as bad as it looked.

Doc just shook his head. "The bullet didn't go all the way through but it tore up a lot in there. It was deep and it took me a lot to get it out. All we can do is like Kitty says, wait." He rubbed a hand across his graying mustache and looked at Festus. It was all up to him now. "Matt take Kitty out of here."

Matt nodded slowly and then wrapped an arm around Kitty's waist. "Come on, there's nothing you can do here." He said softly.

Kitty allowed herself to be led out the door and she and Matt went to the Longbranch. As if on autopilot Kitty went behind the bar and took out a bottle of her best brandy. She poured two shot glasses full and brought them to the table where Matt sat with a weary look on his face. "Here you go cowboy."

Matt didn't respond, just picked up the shot glass and downed the contents in one swallow. "I should have been there Kitty. I should have been there and taken that bullet instead of Festus."

Kitty laid a gentle hand on Matt's and said, "You can't blame yourself. That won't help Festus get well."

"I know Kitty. I know, I just wish there was more that I could do."

"Did you catch the young man that robbed the store?" Kitty asked.

"Yes and recovered the three hundred dollars he stole. I'm going to hold him though, until I know what's going to happen with Festus." Matt said, looking down at the table top, not letting his blue eyes meet Kitty's.

Newly O'Bryan stepped into the Longbranch shortly after that. "Marshal Dillon, I just heard what happened to Festus, is there anything I can do?"

Matt didn't respond so Kitty said, "All we can do is wait and pray now Newly. I'm sure Matt will need help around the office as well."

"Yes Miss Kitty." O'Bryan said.

After Newly left Kitty led Matt up the stairs of the Longbranch to her room, feeling her bartender Sam's eyes on them the whole time. She was sure that Sam knew that Matt came to her room every night up the back stairs but tonight for just this one time she would take him up the front way. Neither of them needed to be alone tonight, they needed to be there for each other.

**So what do you think? Good? Bad? Please let me know, if I don't get any reviews I will not continue this story. As I said in the beginning I usually write L&O:SVU stories but I am also a fan of Gunsmoke and of course Festus. If this continues the next chapter will be Doc's. Thanks!**


	2. Doc

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em!

Doc

I have been sitting up most of the night now with Festus. It is hard to believe that he was the one that was shot, it hasn't happened a lot, usually he is to far behind it's Matt who gets shot at. I wish he was up and arguing me with right now. I miss it.

I lean back in my chair and look at my watch. Three AM. Festus was brought to me shortly after noon, unconcious and losing blood faster than I could seem to steam it's flow. I removed the bullet from my friend but I'm not sure that what I did will do any good.

I lean forward, pull out my pocket watch and take his pulse again. I've done it about a dozen times an hour since I finished with the surgery but I can't seem to help myself. I guess in some odd way I am hoping that by my taking his pulse it will give Festus the will to fight harder and come back to us.

I remember the first time I met Festus Haggen. He was a wolfer then and every few months he would ride into town on his old mule, Ruth another horse trailing behind him stinking of pelts. He always made good money though. I also remember the way the people talked about him, about how he was the only honest member of an outlaw family. I also remember scoffing at that notion, that was until I met him and got to know him.

I have also been thinking about all the arguments I've ever had with him. Boy, have we had our share too. Festus always rambling on and me always ending them by walking away or trying to outsmart him. I've always known in my soul that he is smarter than he ever lets on, I've seen it too, every time his loyalty to Matt or myself or even Miss Kitty comes through, Festus shows the world really just how smart he is.

I again pull out my watch and look at it. It's been sixteen hours since they brought him up to me, bleeding. Hours since I did my surgery all the time hoping that I was doing more good than damage to my friend. Shortly after, Kitty was here, checking up on him and she brought one of her new girls with her. The girl I had only seen a few times but she seemed nice and she was young. I figured her to only be around sixteen or seventeen years old. I remembered being taken aback a little when Kitty left the girl in the room alone. She never said anything to me, just brought the girl in and left. I was puzzled and wanted to ask someone but Kitty never allowed me the opportunity. I knew the girl from the Long Branch only as Rebecca, and I remembered thinking to myself that she looked like to nice a girl to be working in a saloon. I also remember wondering where her parents were. Were they dead? Had she run away from home? Then I saw her setting down and talking to Festus as she had known him all her life and how comfortable she had seemed around him. This too had baffled me. I had asked Festus about it but he had just pushed the issue aside and started an argument with me instead about something insignificant.

Still I wonder now about that girl, about Rebecca and why she seemed so concerned about Festus.

**Thank you for the reviews, I will try better to get more into the characters, something that is harder for me. I hope Doc's personality showed through a little more in this one, or at least his care and concern of Festus. **

**Sorry the update took so long! I hope that the next one will not take as long to post!**


	3. Kitty

**This chapter may seem a little out of character for our dear Festus because he is never shown falling for any woman so please just go with me a little bit as time will help everything make sense.**

Kitty

I took Rebecca to see Festus today after I heard what happened to him. I can honestly say I was shocked into laughing when I was told that it was Festus that was being carried to Doc's office this afternoon and not Matt. When I heard the shots, I was sure that I was going to be rushing to Doc's office and sitting for days on end, nursing Matt Dillon back to health.

After the shock wore off I of course, found myself in the back office crying, crying with relief that it wasn't Matt and crying because it had to be Festus instead. When I came out, I found Rebecca waiting for me. I had only hired her about three weeks ago but she had seemed to form a bond with my favorite deputy U.S. Marshall so I took her with me to Doc's office after I heard that he was finished removing the bullet that had nearly taken his life.

When we went in, we went in together and that was when I received the shock of my life; Rebecca asked me to leave her alone with him. I know that Festus has often kept company with my girls but usually it is with the older girls, not one as young as Rebecca. Again I received a shock. So much of a shock in fact that I could only just walk past Doc on my way out. I know he asked me something but for the life of me I don't know what it was.

My shock didn't wear off until later this evening, once the town had quieted down and Sam and I had closed things up for the night. Then as I brought my weary body up the stairs and to my room did the events of the day sink in. I went to my room prepared for bed and then lay there quietly waiting for Matt to come up the back stairs. He didn't come every night but I knew if there ever was a night that we would need each other, it would be tonight. I knew that he was blaming himself for what had happened to Festus today and that he would need my comfort and support.

When Matt arrived he gathered me in his arms, kissed me soundly and then just lay there for a few minutes before he said, "Kitty, we could have lost him today."

I laid a hand on one of Matt's larger ones and said, "I know. I went to see him and Rebecca went with me."

"When?" Matt asked in the darkness.

"Shortly after Doc finished surgery." I said quietly, laying my head against his chest, needing to feel him, living and breathing next to me.

"How was he?"

"You never went back over there?" I asked, shocked.

"I never got the chance. I was dealing with everything that happened." Matt said. I could hear the sadness in his voice, so I move closer to him, wrapping my arms tight around his body.

"It's ok." I say to him softly. "Festus would want you to uphold the law before you worried about him."

Again Matt asked, "How was he Kitty?"

I hear the pain in Matt's voice and I say, "He lost a lot of blood. Doc was worried that the surgery to remove the bullet may have done more harm than good but when I was there he was still breathing. That's a good sign. All Doc said was that only time will tell."

I feel Matt relax in my embrace before he asks, "Why did Rebecca go with you?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. It seems that she and Festus have bonded somehow but I don't understand it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I know Festus and I know that he would never have relations with a girl as young as Rebecca but she asked me to leave her alone with him." I tell Matt, glad to share my strange experience with someone else.

"Hmm. I don't know Kitty. That seems strange to me too, but I guess it is between Festus and Rebecca and none of our concern." Matt says before kissing me softly and closing his eyes.

In a few minutes I know that he is asleep, his body having no trouble at all falling into a deep slumber after the events of the day. I on the other hand lie awake for quiet some time. Thinking about Festus and Rebecca and why she wanted to be left alone with him. I play scenario after scenario out in my head but come up with nothing. Finally, I give up and fall into a restless sleep.

The next morning after seeing a haggard looking Matt off at dawn and then spending some time alone in my room I dress and go downstairs. Things are quiet in my place of business and not even Sam is there yet. I have my morning tea and then decide to make my way over to Doc's office to check on Festus.

I climb the stairs that lead to my healing friend's office and when I reach the top I knock softly on the door.

Doc answers, looking as bad as I feel inside. "Kitty? What are you doing here this time of day?"

"I wanted to check on him again Doc. How is he?" I ask of my friend.

"There hasn't been any change Kitty." Doc says, sadness lacing his voice.

"Did you sleep at all last night Doc?" I ask, concerned too about my other friend and his well being.

"On and off. I'll be fine Kitty. I'm a doctor, that's my job." Doc says, but not with his usual conviction.

"Doc." I say softly, "Why don't you go and get some breakfast. I'll sit with Festus while you're gone." I offer.

"No. No. Kitty, I'm alright, I'll stay here." Doc argues, but again without the conviction that he usually does.

"Doc, if you make your self sick by not eating and sleeping then you are going to be of no use to Festus or anyone else." I say to him. Then practically putting his hat on his head and his coat in his arms I push him towards the door. "Now get out of here for a hour and go and get something to eat."

Doc doesn't resists and like a naughty child slowly makes his way out the door and down the steps. As soon as he is gone I make my way into the room that Doc uses for patient recovery and look in on Festus. His face is covered with more whisker stubble than normal and his dark hair is falling over his brow, making him look like an adult size child. I can see his chest rising and falling above the white sheet that covers him from waist to foot. If not for the huge white bandage that covers his chest one would think that he was just sleeping.

Quietly I walk over and push his hair from his forehead and then lean down and softly kiss his brow. "You will make it out of this Festus. You have to, who else would keep Matt out of trouble and- and" I say my voice faltering with emotion. "Who would take care of Ruth?"

I take the chair and sit down. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know I hear a woman's voice. Softly talking to Festus's sleeping form. I keep my eyes shut and listen to the words.

"Hi. It's me. I know you don't know about me, Mama said that she never told you. She said that you were doing great things and didn't need to be burdened by her or me. Well Mama passed on last year and I've since spent that time looking for you." I hear the voice say. I open one eye half way to see who is talking I look and see Rebecca, kneeling by the bed. I quickly close my open eye again and continue to listen.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth about why I'm here. I intended too, I just never found a chance." The girl continued on, before leaning over and as I watched through shuttered eyes as Rebecca leaned over and kissed Festus on his grizzled cheek.

I couldn't believe this! Festus, a father? I wondered if he had any idea, after the amount of time he had spent with Rebecca over the last few weeks. Did Matt suspect as well? Questions rolled through my mind as I continued to pretend to sleep.

I remained quiet and after I was sure that Rebecca was gone then, only then did I slowly open my eyes and look at the prone figure before me. I still couldn't believe it. I got up and moved towards the door, only to be greeted by Doc in the main office. He looked better after his meal and he also looked surprised to see me.

"Kitty! What are you still doing here?"

"Well I told you that I would stay until you returned from getting a meal." I say.

"Yes, but I just saw Rebecca and so I assumed that you had sent her over to sit."

"No she came on her own." I say. I wouldn't admit to Doc that I had fallen asleep.

"Well what did she want?" Doc asked.

"She just wanted to check on Festus too." I say.

We chat for a few more minutes and then looking at the time I decided that I best get back to the Long Branch and prepare for another busy day.


	4. Matt

**Ok. Thank you to Teri for pointing out some of my mistakes. I will try to clean them up so if there are things that are not right before hand I hope that they will right from now on. Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.**

**Matt**

I knew I should have gone on with the other men after that man the other day, instead of letting Festus go. I've been to see him but I couldn't bear to stand there and look at him lying in that bed up at Doc's.

"Marshal?" he asked.

"Oh, hi Newly."

"Marshal, how's Festus?" Newly asked.

"Nothing's changed since yesterday." I say to the young man stands before me the concern showing on his face.

"Well he was hurt pretty badly." I hear Newly saying to me. I scrub a hand over my face and try to concentrate on the conversation and paperwork before me. "Marshall? Are you ok?" I hear Newly asking.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Would you like to join me for a drink over at the Long Branch?" I ask. I need to get out of the office. I have to transport the prisoner, the man who shot Festus, to Hays later in the day so I decide that going to the Long Branch and sharing a cup of coffee with Kitty won't hurt anything.

"Oh no thank you." Newly says stepping towards the door. "I best be getting back to my store and taking care of things over there."

I watch Newly leave and then slowly rise to my full height. I stretch and then placing my hat on my head I walk across the street to the Long Branch.

Kitty is sitting at one of the tables already the little china pot and cup in front of her along with a ledger. When she hears me enter she looks up from her work and smiles at me. "Matt?"

"Morning Kitty." I say going to the table and sitting down heavily in the chair across from her. "You got coffee over there?"

Kitty smiles at me and rises to get another cup. She pours me a cup of the strong brew and says, "I went to see Festus this morning."

I look at her, "Yeah I haven't been up there since last night." I say heavily. "How was he?"

"Not much has changed." Kitty says, looking down at the felt top on the table. "He still hasn't woken up but it looked to me like the bleeding has stopped in the wound."

"That's good." I say.

"I also had another strange experience with Rebecca." Kitty said to me.

"What? What do you mean strange experience?" I ask intrigued. I knew the whole Rebecca spending time with Festus was bothering Kitty.

"Well when I went to see Festus I sent Doc down to eat breakfast. The man looked terrible this morning so I sent him out, well, while I was sitting with Festus, I dozed off. When I woke up Rebecca was there, talking to Festus. Matt, do you know of any time that Festus was married or did he ever mention having children anywhere."

My mind is slowly processing what Kitty is saying to me. "Festus, married or having children?" I repeat to her.

"That's what I said Matt. Now, do you know of anything such as that?"

I think back, I've know Festus for a good many years and I don't ever once recall him even taking a woman picnicking let alone keeping company with one long enough to produce a child. "No Kitty. He's never mentioned anything like that."

"Well something is definitely going on. I would ask Festus if he was awake but, Matt do you think I should talk to Rebecca." Kitty asked the concern evident in her voice and on her face.

I look at her, my beautiful red head that was always so concerned for those around her. "I don't know Kitty. I mean what if Festus has no idea who this girl is and finds out when he wakes up. I don't know a lot about doctorin' but it could make him have a relapse or something."

Kitty's brow furrows at that thought. "We wouldn't want that to happen. Maybe I will talk to Rebecca, just as a friend of Festus. I just don't want it to be a bad experience for him, to find out he's a father."

I nod my agreement and then sit quietly finishing my coffee. After the cup of brew I feel much better and rise, telling Kitty that I will see her later. I make my way down Front street and over to Doc's office.

I knock on his door at the top of the stairs and hear a none to chipper, "Come in." I walk in and see Doc sitting in his chair. The look on his face tells me that Festus has made no improvement since his accident but I ask anyway. "How is he Doc?"

"No better and no worse, Matt." Doc says, swiping his graying mustache as was his long habit.

"Well I guess we can take some comfort in that can't we?" I ask my older friend.

"Yes, but if Festus doesn't wake up soon, I'm afraid. I'm afraid he never will." Doc says, hanging his head.

I walk into the room where Doc has Festus laying and just stand and look at him. When he first came to Dodge he wouldn't have been my first choice as a deputy but as I grew to know the man I found that there was no one more loyal or dependable around. Festus Haggen was a good man and I would sorely miss him if that time came that he didn't make it.

I was just about to turn and leave when I heard a very weak "Matthew."

I turn around quickly and look, Festus has his eyes open, only slits but they're open and I am sure that I just heard him say my name! "Festus! Festus! By golly, Festus you woke up!"

Festus turns his head towards me and offers me a weak smile. "Matthew." Festus says weakly again.

"Doc!" I shout into the front room. "What is it Festus?" I pull a chair up next to the bed and set down.

Doc rushes into the room. "What in thunder? Matt, what's going on here?"

"Festus, he woke up." I say in shock to Doc.

Doc pulls his stethoscope out and listens to Festus's heart and lungs. "What did he say Matt?"

"He said "Matthew."" I reply excitedly.

"Doc?" Festus says again.

"Yes Festus, I'm here. How do you feel?" Doc asks.

"Like a whole heard of Texas steers just plain oledede run over me, Doc." Festus replied.

I feel like a one ton weight has been lifted from my shoulders when Festus woke up. I leave Doc's office and I can tell that my step is lighter and that it will make my trip to Hays that much easier with that prisoner. If anything had happened to Festus I would have seriously considered just taking the man out on the prairie and shooting him myself. I know that I would never have done it, but I sure would have thought about it.


	5. Awakening

**Ok this is NOT a POV chapter. I thought I needed to get the whole Festus waking up for us thing out of the way. Next chapter will be Rebecca's. Thanks for reading!**

**Awakening**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. I do own Rebecca though.**

After Matt left, Doc went to work checking Festus's wound and asking him questions. Finally Festus cut in, "What happened to me Doc? I don't remember nary a thing other than chasin' that youngun'."

"Well he shot you, Festus." Doc said, swiping at his mustache. How did you tell a man, especially a man that was so close to you that he had nearly died and not just at the hands of a gunman? "And after he shot you, they brought you to me and I did surgery."

"Didcha get the bullet out?" Festus asked, his voice still weak and raw from disuse.

"Yes, I did. But the bullet hit a blood vessel and I had to sueter it. Your going to take a while to heal." Doc said.

Festus's next question nearly floored the physician. "Has Rebecca been by to see me?"

"Yes she has." Doc replied.

"Good. Will you go and tell her I'm awake." Festus said. He closed his eyes again and Doc stepped back out of the room.

AT THE LONGBRANCH

Kitty didn't know how to broach the subject of Festus with Rebecca. She was now sitting in the girls room with her.

"Rebecca, I don't know how to broach this subject with you." Kitty said slowly, taking a sip of coffee.

"This is about Festus isn't it?" Rebecca asked. "I know that he is a friend of yours and the Marshal's."

"Yes he is, so I guess I have to ask because I care about him very much and don't want to see him hurt, what is your relationship with him?" Kitty asked, her blue eyes boring into the girls brown ones.

Rebecca pulled herself up a little more, under her employer's scrutiny and said, "He's my father."

Kitty gasped. "Your father! Are you sure?"

"Yes. My mother told me on her death bed. You see, Miss Kitty, my mother came from a very well to do family from Texas. She was to marry another person, from her own class, I guess you could say but she met my father, uhm, Festus, and they fell in love. My grandparents threw a fit. They forbade them from seeing each other. They ran away together and my mother became pregnant." The girl said, the whole time looking at Kitty.

Kitty just sat quietly and let Rebecca tell her story. "My grandparents hired a detective to find my mother and bring her home. By this time she was already a month or two into her pregnancy but she did as my grandparents wanted and left my father and came home, hoping to convince them that she loved my father and that they wanted to marry each other. Well that didn't happen. As soon as my mother was back into my grandparents home they pushed her into marrying the man that I believed was my father, Michael Kirkpatrick."

"But Festus, had to have know that your mother was pregnant. Didn't he come looking for you or your mother?" Kitty asked.

"Yes he did and my grandmother told him that my mother no longer wanted to see him and that she had lost the baby."

"Oh no!" Kitty cried out "Your poor mother, poor Festus and poor you."

"Well as soon as my mother told me that Michael wasn't my father, there wasn't anything that I could do. My grandparents were gone as was my father, or the man that I thought was my father. I was alone in the world."

"So Festus is what really brought you to Dodge City then?" Kitty asked. When the girl had first come to Dodge and the Long Branch she had told Kitty that she was a working girl from El Paso looking for a change of senery. Kitty hadn't fully believed the story the girl had given her but had hired her anyway.

"Yes. Oh Miss Kitty it is so nice to finally be able to get this off my chest." Rebecca said, letting out a long sigh.

"Yes I'm sure it is. Well, I don't want you working anymore." Kitty said.

"What?" Rebecca asked. "Miss Kitty, Festus doesn't know who I really am or why I'm here. Wouldn't me stopping work cause him to wonder?"

"No. He's going to be laid up at Doc's for a while so that will give us time to get you set up into a respectable business. Now I have heard what the other girls have said about your sewing skills. Maybe you could go to work for Miss Grace over at the ladies dress shop. I think she even has a room for rent over there."

"Oh Miss Kitty! Thank you, thank you so much for wanting to help me!" Rebecca said, leaning over and throwing her arms around Kitty.

"It's my pleasure Rebecca!" Kitty said, accepting the girls hug.

There was a knock at the door and the two women heard Sam's voice on the other side of the door. "Miss Kitty. Doctor Adams just sent a boy over to tell you that Festus is awake."

Kitty went to the door and opened and said, "Thank you Sam."

"Your welcome Miss Kitty." The bartender said and went back down the stairs.

"Well Rebecca, should we go see your father?" Kitty asked the girl.

"Yes, but I don't think I should tell him. I would hate to set him back."

The two women rushed to Doc Adam's office and went in. "Doc?" Kitty said once they asked to come in by the physician. "Sam said that you sent someone to tell us that Festus was awake."

"Yes he is." Doc said. "I'm sure that he would love to see two pretty ladies instead of me, by golly."

Kitty went into the room first after knocking softly. "Festus? It's Kitty."

"Wal golly be, Miss Kitty. You sure are a sight for sore eyes."

"Thank you Festus. It's good to see you awake too." Kitty said.

"Miss Kitty, didcha bring Rebecca with you?" Festus asked. He was setting carefully propped up against pillows in the bed.

"Yes she's here. She's out talking to Doc right now, why?"

"Wal, I guess I was always drawn to her because she looks like my mother." Festus said.

Kitty hoped that her mouth hadn't dropped open. Had Festus figured out that Rebecca was possibly his daughter? "Really, well that is a coincidence."

"No Miss Kitty. I was in love once, with a girl in El Paso. She got pregnant and then her parents took her away. Ya see Miss Kitty, she was better off than me, ya see."

"Ok."

"So anyhoo," Festus said, taking a deep breath and then wincing. "Her ma told me that she didn't want to see me anymore and that she had lost the baby. Deep down I never believed that but figured that Cecilia wouldn't go against her mother or father so I left. But I heard that she had a child and married. I know I ain't by no means smart but I can figure enough to know that the child was not her new husbands. I also saw her once when she was little, a pretty little thing, she was."

Kitty felt her breath catch in her throat. Festus was almost sure that he knew that his daughter was alive and well. Wouldn't he love to know that she was standing on the other side of the door.

"When I met Rebecca, I remember those eyes. Those are her mother, Cecilia's eyes and then she otherwise looks like my ma." Festus said to Kitty.

Fearing he would wear himself out if she stayed, Kitty didn't stay much longer, begging off saying that she had things to do at the Long Branch. She went out into Doc's office and said to Rebecca. "He's starting to wear out, so why don't you go on in, honey."

Rebecca stepped into the room and Kitty looked at Doc. "She told me." Doc said.

"The whole story?" Kitty asked.

"Yes. The whole story. It's hard to believe but yes, I think it could have happened the way she tells."

"To think that Festus has been a father for seventeen years and only had a feeling about it."

"What? By thunder he knew and didn't do anything about it?" Doc said harshly.

"He suspected Doc. He told me he saw her as a girl once but I expect he thought that she was living a better life with her wealthy parents." Kitty said.

"I guess." Doc said, going to sit down in a chair. "Matt left this afternoon with that youngster to take him to Hays, I guess."

"I guess." Kitty said.

In Festus's room, Rebecca sat in the chair that Kitty had recently occupied. "Hello Festus, how are you?"

"I'm doin' alright. How are you Miss Rebecca?"

"Festus, can I talk to you?" Rebecca said softly.

"Sure darlin' you can talk to me about nary any ole thing you want to." Festus said. He looked at the girl. Her dark brown eyes, dark hair. She had to be his child, he could feel it in his bones.

"Festus, do you have any children?"

"No. I was goin' too, but she died." Festus said sadly.

"No, no she didn't." Rebecca said, suddenly feeling brave. It would be easier to just let it all spill out anyway, than to drag things on.

"What do ya mean gal?" Festus said, turning his whiskered face towards the girl.

"I mean that I am your daughter. I'm not dead."

"I knew it." Festus said. "By golly, I knew, I knew plain as day that you were mine when I saw you on that street with your mother in Abeline all those years ago."

"You, you, saw me?" Rebecca said, beginning to cry. "Why didn't you come for me then?"

"I thought I was respectin' your mother's wishes." Festus said softly.

"Oh." Rebecca said, softly, tears still streaming down her face. "I guess that makes sense to me then."

They talked for a while more and then before she left Rebecca leaned down and kissed his grizzled cheek. "Goodbye Papa."

Festus was speechless and all he could do was watch is daughter, his grown daughter standing up and preparing to walk away. Then he said, "Come back tomorrow will you."

"Of course Papa." Rebecca said. She enjoyed how that word sounded on her tounge. She had always had to refer to Michael as Father.

Festus smiled and as his eyes drifted shut again, he knew that today had been a good day.

**So what did you think? Was it good, bad or otherwise? I tried my hardest to keep everyone in character but it is kind of hard to do, especially with a situation such as this. Next chapter is Rebecca on discovering her father.**


	6. Rebecca

**Alrighty-because I had a lot of questions about Rebecca and her relationship with not only Festus but her well I guess he would really be her stepfather, I thought I better get this chapter up. So hopefully this clears up some questions! As for the part with Festus saying that he saw Rebecca with her mother in Abilene. I intended to put it that way--as to assume that Festus was in Abilene, saw the woman that he had loved with his unknown to him daughter and new hubby. Hope that clears things up for folks. Thanks for reading!**

**Rebecca**

My father, well the man that is my real father, woke up today. I don't know exactly how I feel now. While he was unconscious, I was scared, scared that I would be all alone in the world. I recently lost my mother and while I told my father and Miss Kitty today that my mother and her family and husband, Michael had been well to do, that wasn't the whole story. There are a million horrible things that no one outside the realm of our personal household would know.

I didn't tell Miss Kitty that while my grandparents took my mother back in after sending Festus away, they quickly married her off to Michael Kirkpatrick and then when I was born, scorned me. They knew that I was not Michael's child, I'm sure Michael knew that I wasn't his child and I still don't know how they pulled off the act with their high society friends.

As for Michael, I respected him and I loved him as well, I guess in a way but I knew deep down that we did not have the connection that other children had with their parents. At first, when I was old enough to understand I thought that he had to do with Michael's drinking and gambling problems and the fact that I wasn't a son. Then I thought that maybe my lack of emotional connection with my "father" was due to the strong bond that I shared with my mother. Things finally became crystal clear when my mother told me the real story. It explained why I could never be good enough to make Michael happy and while in public he was a loving, caring father, at home he was inattentive and while he lavished mother with attention and caring, acted with an air of disregard towards me.

I know I shouldn't have called Festus, Papa today but I couldn't help myself. I always had to refer to Michael as "father" and I guess my little girl yearnings just took over. All my friends in our family's circle had called their fathers Papa or daddy and I always had to be overly formal and prim with mine.

I know Festus won't be happy with me working in Miss Kitty's saloon, she wasn't happy with me working in her saloon, well I guess I'm not now. Now I'm just staying here. I know they are both assuming that I lived a lavish life with my rich parents. Unfortunately, that was not the situation; I had been working from the time Michael died. While he was very good at drinking, he was very poor at gambling and by the time he passed on he had spent my mother's small inheritance from her parents and his own, and lost our home. When my mother died, we were living in the servant's quarters of our own home. My mother was keeping house and I was as well. I had also taken to selling my body. My mother was sick and I needed to take care of her, so I used the one asset that I had, my body.

That's why it didn't bother me to go to work in Miss Kitty's saloon when I reached Dodge. I came up from Texas, after collecting the last of the meager pay that my mother and I had earned from cleaning. The nice thing about working for Miss Kitty was that I didn't have to rely on letting sweaty cowboys climb all over me. I just had to sit, smile sweetly, let them buy me drinks and keep them company until they went on their merry way.

Working for Miss Kitty was so much better than what I had been doing in Texas. Now, here I am, sitting in an upstairs room looking out over Front Street, in Dodge City, Kansas. I have a father, one who I believe will love me, or at least I hope that is how it will be and I believe that things may have just taken a turn for the better. I hope.

**I hope this cleared up some things for everyone. I hope. I really have no idea where this story is going to take me, when I started it I never intended for Festus to find out he had a daughter, she just kind of showed up and has taken over things a little bit. Next chapter will probably be Festus, or it will be another non-POV chapter. I haven't decided quite yet. Story is very close to being complete though. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Festus

Sorry it's taken me so long to post. I hope you forgive me and contine to read this story.

Festus

I never wouldda thought that I'd get shot. I sure have had a lot of people lookin' in on me too. Miss Kitty, Matthew, even ole Doc. Well I guess ole Doc, he has to look on me cause he's the doc. Newlly he's been here a time or two and then there's Rebecca.

I saw her once, when I was down Texas way, working as a cow puncher. I was in Abilene and I saw her with her mama. At the time it crossed my mind for a minute that that little gal was mine but it quickly disappeared when I saw that man with them. After that I didn't think to much about it, until I met that little gal, Rebecca in Miss Kitty's saloon.

The past few days lying here in bed have given me a lot of time to think. I know ole Doc he would tell ya that I'm not capable of thinkin', but it ain't true. I think right well and these past few days have given me time to do that. I haven't told anyone about Rebecca though, I'd hate for people to start treatin her different cause she had the sorry luck of gettin' me for a pa.

The day she was here and we talked, she called me papa. That darn near made me bawl like a little ole baby. It just made my heart get all fluttery and like and I liked that feeling. Now she comes everyday and we talk and I've been learnin' about her life while she was youngun. I wish I woulda been around for her, wish that I hadn't been lied to.

I'm a layin' here lookin' pretty horrible I expect. There's a knock on the door and I'm expectin' Rebecca so I say, "Come in." I turn my head and I'm suprised to see Miss Kitty come in.

"Hello Festus, how are we feeling today?"

"Hello Miss Kitty. Alright, I guess."

"That's good."

"Is Rebecca with you?" I ask. I've grown used to her coming every day and I like seeing her.

"No. I believe she went on a picnic with Newly."

"Newly? Newly taken a likin' to my girl huh?" I ask, letting it slip out before I can catch myself.

"Your girl? Festus what are you talking about? Don't you think that your a little old for a girl Rebecca's age?" Miss Kitty says with a small laugh and a glint in her eye.

"Ya know darn well what I'm a talkin' about Miss Kitty." I say, letting my self get a little heht up.

Miss Kitty laughs and lays a hand on my arm. "I know Festus. I'm just teasing. That is why I'm here because Rebecca finally decided to put poor Newly out of his misery and let him take her out with him."

"Oh, well she could do a whole lot worser than Newly."

Miss Kitty laughs again and picks up the basket that she carried in with her. "Well are you hungry Festus?"

"Darn right." I say. "That old scutter out there only thinks he can cook."

"Matt says the same thing any time he gets stuck over." Kitty says with another laugh. She begins to pulls things out of her basket and I feel my mouth begin to water. I knew from experience that Miss Kitty was a pretty good cook even though she took most of her meal at Del Monico's.

We had just started our meal when Matthew decided to show up. "Oh hello Kitty." he says to her, acting like he didn't know where she was. I know that there is more a goin on between those two than they think anyone knows is a goin on. Most of what I know is what Rebecca has told me. How Matthew will be all sneaky like and come over after hours. They can't pull the wool over my eyes, no sir.

"Festus." Matthew says to me.

"Hello Matthew. Care to have a bite to eat with Miss Kitty and me?"

"Well sure. Thank you for askin' Festus."

We eat our lunch and then after a little small talk, Matthew and Miss Kitty say their goodbyes. Leaving me alone with my thoughts and to count the flies on the ceiling.

Rebecca comes a short while later and I feel right perky again. "Hi Papa." she says when she comes in, her cheeks a little red, from the wind I suppose, and her eye bright.

"Didya have a good time with Newly?" I ask.

"Oh yes, I did. I wasn't sure I wanted to accept Mr. O'Brien's invitation but then I don't know, he just looked at me and I couldn't say no."

"Yeah Newly he sure has a way with the gals." I say.

"Papa, can I ask you a question." Rebecca says, pulling up her chair and setting down.

"Of course ya can." I say.

"Why didn't you ever find someone else, find someone else who made you happy after mama?"

"Well, I was busy then, workin', doin' things that weren't for men with womenfolks attached to 'em."

"Why else?"

"Cause no one else compared." I finally admitt. She had been the only one for me and when she was pushed away, I just made up my mind that I wouldn't have anyone else.

"Can I ask you something else?"

I only nod this time.

"What do you think of Mr. O'Brien?"

I breath a sigh of relief, an easy question. "I like ole Newly. He's a nice young fellar."

"He asked if he could call on me today."

"Whaddya tell 'em?" I ask, hoping she said yes.

"I said yes."

"Good. That's real good." I say. Then I decide it is time for me to ask the questions, "Have you got yourself moved outta the Long Branch yet?"

"Later today. Mr. O'Brien is going to help."

"Good."

Rebecca stays until that ole scutter Doc comes in and shoos her away. He tells me I have to start gettin up more and movin' around. I argue with him for a while but do it because he says. I just argue with him cause I like to see him get all flustered up like an old hen. The whole time I'm arguin' with him I'm laughin inside.


End file.
